Skylight construction.



T. W. IRWIN.

SKYLIGHT CONSTRUCTION.

APPLlcATroN man APR.14.1915.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

l., TEEN@ THOMAS W. IRWIN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SKYLIGHT CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 18, 1916.

Application filed April 14, 1915. Serial No. 21,337.

T0 all lwhom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS W. IRWIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certainv new and useful Improvements in Skylight Construction, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in skylight construction, and is particularly designed for the purpose of providing an improved connecting and supporting mechanism for the skylight members, z'. e., of plate glass or other similar material.

.The invention provides means for supporting the edge portions of the said plates, means for rmly connecting and clamping the plates to-the supporting structure, and particularly, to an improved form of cushioning carrier embodying an incorporated gutter, adapted to yieldingly support the plates. with facility for tight closure, and relative lateral movement of said elements,

providing compensation for movement orA displacement of the plates.

The construction in certain preferred forms is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a cross sectional view, partly broken away, of an inclined roof structure embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a simi; lar sectional View, taken on the line II, II, of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view of one of the yielding supporting and gutter embodying members. Fig. 4 is a similar view, showing a modified construction of such member. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the bolt connection.

In general, the skylight construction as a whole is somewhat similar to well-known constructions, in that it utilizes standard shapes and forms of supporting elements, the present invention relating particularly to certain elements as above specified, and as hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, the skylight plates 2 are slopingly arranged and supported on transverse roof members consisting of plates 3, 3, which are connected by end portions 4 with the central ridge construction 5. Said roof members slope downwardly therefrom at each side and rest at their other ends upon any suitable support, as a main rooffstructure 6.

Roof members 3 are turned outwardly and upwardly at their lower portions, as by the wings 7, providing the main gutter channels 8 for carrying off any moisture which may pass downwardly through the joints.

Riveted at each side of roof members 3 are the angle members 9, extending outwardly at each side thereof and forming supporting shelves for the gutter bars 10. These bars 10, which are preferably of lead or other soft material, are provided with the dat base adapted to rest upon the upper face of the angle bracket 9, and upwardly beyond said base portion extends a ridge 11 which tapers toward a knife edge 12, upon which the under surface ofthe plate 2 rests.

An inner upstanding leg 13, integral with base 10, extends upwardly at right angles thereto, providing between it and the adj acent face of ridge 11 a continuous gutter cavity a. Said leg or wall extends well above the top ofthe plate so as to insure the collection of moisture in the gutter.

In normal position the wall 13 is spaced.

slightly away from the adjacent face of roof member 3, as indicated at b (Fig. 2)., so that the supporting gutter member is thus free to move in either direction laterally with the plate 2, due to its expansion or contraction, vibration, or sagging under thev weight of snow or the like, thus providing for a close intimate unchanging relation between the plate and such supporting member at all times.

Extending upwardly from' the top edge portions of the roof members 3 arethe bolts 14, the squared heads 15 of which are in notched engagement with correspondingly shaped-apertures 16 in the upper edge portions of said roof members, so as to provide a iir'm holding engagement forthe bolts.

Straddled over the upper portions of the roof members is an inner saddle or cap member 17, of sheet copper or other suitable material, the lower edge portion of which at each side is provided with a clamping bar 18 of lead or other similar suitable material, adapted to lie flatly upon the upper faces of the plates 2, at each side, and when drawn down tightly, to provide a closing flashing, and water-tight joint.

At intervals, corresponding to each of the bolts 14,' is an vouter saddle `member 19, of copper, brass, orv other suitable non-corrosive material, the bolt 14 extending upwardly through said saddle, and also through member 17. Each of said members gutters 8 of roof members 3, and be thereby is provided with an upwardly extending cir-l cular flange 20 and 21 respectively, one nesting within the other, and a securing nut 22 is hollowed out in its interior, as at 23, providing a receiving cavity for the uppermost annular projection 21. By this means, when the nut is screwed down tight, the several parts will be clamped tightly together, and the upwardly extending, partly telescoping terminals 20 and 21' respectively form a water-tight joint adapted to shed any moisture which may gather beneath the nut.

At intervals, extending at right angles to the roof members, and between the adjacent transverse edges of plates 2, I interpose a cross connecting gutter member bar 24 of thin sheet metal, which extends upwardly between the plates, as shown in Fig. 1, and downwardly over the lower plate by an ex- .tension 25, 4whereby to shed the water away from the joint.

The upper portion of the gutter member 24 extends upwardly along underneath the lower edge of upper plate 2, as indicated at 26, suliieiently far to prevent any overflow vof water inwardly, thus insuring its being carried olf downwardly over the outside surface. Should, however, any water accumulate and rise inwardly over such portion, it will be collected in the gutter and conveyed laterally and discharged into one of carried od. A lsimilar gutter member 27, of Sheet metal, is also laid across between the roof members at the upper end portion of each of the skylight, sections, adapted to carry away any moisture and deliver it into the roof member gutters in the same manner, as indicated by the arrows.

For the purpose of yieldingly supporting the upper horizontal edge `portions of Ilplates2, I employ a gutter member, similar to .-that above described, having thebase 10, ridge ,11, gutter a, and inner wall 13, lying upon the supporting element 5 of the ridge piece', and adapted to yieldingly support -the upper edge of the plate and to come and go with it, in the same manner as above described.v f

At the lowerv portion of the structure, I employ a similar yielding support having a base 10', a ridge 11', anda downwardly extending lip 13', adapted to lie alongv a transverse supporting shelf 28 which is incorporated with the end Structure of the sloping roof. Such portion of the roof is alsoprovided with a terminal retaining bar or plate 29, and a closing plate 30y having an opening 31, through which water may pass outwardly from the channels 8 upon roof 6 or elsewhere, as will be readily understood.

The construction and operation of the in' vention will be readily understood from the foregoing description. It provides for a.

.tight closure between the u nder surfaces of the skylight plates and the yielding and movable supporting elements. The thin knife edges'of the ridge 11 or 11', being of lead, will-readily flatten and accommodate itself to variations in the surface of the glass plates, whether they be smooth, corrugated, or otherwise. Being thus tightly embedded against the plates, the said ridges, embodied with their gutter-providing portions, are thus so incorporated with the plates vthat they will adapt themselves and move with them, thus insuring the maintenance of such direct engagement between the plates and supporting ridges, and preventing independent movement of the plates on theirsupports and thus unseating them, thereby obviating any danger of breakage.

The clamping construction and the vari- 'ous other features of the invention above province of the skilled mechanic, and the scope of the following'claims.

What I claim is:

1. In skylight construction, the combination'with a stationary supporting'base, of a soft metal plate-supporting bar having a iat base slidably mounted on said. base provided with an upwardly extending knife edge`ridge, anda skylight plate resting on said knife edge. v

2. In skylight construction, the combination with a stationary supporting base, of a soft metall platelsupporting bar having 'a flat base slidably mounted'on said base provided with an upwardly extending knife edge ridge, a skylight plate Aresting on said knife edge, and a covering plate bearing on the upper surface ofthe skylight plate and pressing it against the knife edge ridge.

3. In skylight construction, the combination with a stationary supporting base, of a soft metal plate-supporting barl having a flat base slidably mounted on said base 4provided with an upwardly extending knife edge ridge and. an integral longitudinal ange extending upwardly from the base providing a gutter between the flange and said ridge, and a skylight plate resting on said knife edge.

4. In skylight construction, the combination with a stationary supporting base, of a soft .metal plate-supporting bar having a flat base slidably` mounted on Said base provided with an upwardly extending ridge make adhering engagement with the sky' light plate, and a skylight plate resting on and movable with said ridge. 5. In skylight construction, the combination with rav stationary supporting base, of a soft metal plate-supporting bar having a. flat base slidably mounted on said base provided with an upwardly extending ridge having a compressiblfe bearing edge adapted under pressure to intimately conform to and make adhering engagement with the skylight plate, a skylight plate resting on and movable with said ridge, and a covering plata` bearing on the upper surface of the skylight plate and pressing it against the bearing edge of said ridge.

' 6. In skylight construction, the combination with a stationary supporting base, of

a soft metal plate-supporting bar having a flat base slidably mounted on said base provided with an upwardly extending ridge having a compressible bearing edge adapted under pressure to intimately conform to and make adhering engagement with the skylight` plate and an integral longitudinal flange extending upwardly from the base providing a gutter between the flange and said ridge, and a skylight plate resting on said ridge.

7 In skylight construction, the combination with a stationary supporting base, of

ra soft metal plate-supporting bar having 35 a flat base slidably mounted on said base provided with an upwardly extending knife edge ridge providing a compressible bearing edge adapted under pressure to intimately conform to and -make adhering en- 40 gagement with the skylight plate, and-a skylight plate resting on and movable with said ridge.

8. A soft metal plate-supporting bai' of the class described having a flat base adapt ed to be slidably mounted on a bearing sup- 'port and provided with an upwardly extending knife edge ridge.

9. A soft metal plate-supporting bar of the class described having a flat base adapted to be slidably mounted on a bearing support and provided with an upwardlyA extending knife edge ridge, and an integral longitudinal ange extending beyond the flat base.

10. A soft metal plate-supporting bar of the class described having a fiat base adapted to be slidably mounted on a bearing support and provided with anV upwardly extending knife edge ridge, and an integral longitudinal iiange extending beyond the fiat base and providing a gutter between said fiange and ridge. j

l1. The combination with the-transverse roof member and the skylight plates thereon, of a cap member straddling the. roof member having edge portions bearing on the upper faces of said plates and provided with central bolt holes surrounded by upwardly turned lips, interfitting clamps thereon having similar bolt holes and lips, bolts connected with the roof member extending through said cap and clamps, and securing nuts on the bolts having recessed under facesv embracing the lips of said clamps.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afx my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS W. IRWIN.

Witnesses W. A. HECKMAN, C. M. CLARKE. 

